


You Signed the Guest Book with Your Best Dad Joke and I think we’ve Started a Tradition

by featherflairs



Series: Everything Life Tries to Make Up For [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bad Wedding Music, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Poor Sharon, Sharon and Peggy are cousins, Slow Dancing, Steve's a smooth fucker, Wedding Guest Steve, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 09:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16172735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/featherflairs/pseuds/featherflairs
Summary: This wedding is awful but Steve is not and Bucky is just so glad.





	You Signed the Guest Book with Your Best Dad Joke and I think we’ve Started a Tradition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sickdaysurfer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sickdaysurfer/gifts).



> Gift for the lovely Sickdaysurfer, all with real life inspiration of awful wedding anecdotes! No appearances by the pups this time sadly, such is adulting responsibilities. 
> 
> If anyone is curious of the aweful cheesy playlists mentioned in the fic, just check out Spotify's Top 50 Wedding playlist and you'll see lol

A terrifying part of dating that Bucky had forgotten about was wedding date protocol. 

When was an appropriate time to ask if Steve would want to go to a wedding with Bucky? 

Was it weird that they’d only been seeing each other for a few weeks? They hadn’t even had sex yet and Steve had only just met Bucky’s sister last Monday, bringing Steve to Sharon’s wedding would mean meeting all of Bucky’s friends. Well, maybe just Clint and Nat. 

But Bucky ended up stressing over it for far too long and before he realized what had happened, Sharon was calling him practically in tears about her seating chart whether he was bringing a guest or not. That’s what put a fire under his ass to ask Steve if he’d be Bucky’s guest. 

“Yeah, of course. When’s the wedding?”

Bucky felt like he was going to throw up, sitting stiffly across from Steve at dinner in shock of how easy that had been. 

“Uh, two weeks on the Sunday.” 

Steve frowns, sticking his fork into his Alfredo pasta determining. “That’s cutting it pretty close isn’t it? Don’t they usually need confirmations a month before?” 

Bucky gives him a flat look, tearing off a piece of garlic bread. 

“Forgive me for being a bit scared to ask my very new man-person to be my guest at a good friend’s wedding.”

“New man-person, huh? Sounds like you were gonna say boy-toy.”

“Shut up, you wish you were a boy-toy.” 

“I prefer romantic companion, actually.” 

Bucky grins, tearing into his garlic bread while trying not to laugh, a faint pink tinting his cheeks. They hadn’t totally determined what they were yet, Bucky knew they were dating and seeing each other, but it was still new and terrifying to ask. 

“So… yes?” he asked after a few quiet moment, Steve arching a brow and giving a smile. 

“I already said yes. I’ll take off work and we’ll just cut the dog park short that morning. We’ll just have to apologize to the pups.” Steve confides, Bucky smiling, ever fond of Steve’s infatuation with Gypsy and Mikey. 

“I’m not part of the wedding party or anything, so won’t be really serious. We’ll probably be seated at the back of the room too, Sharon has a huge extended family.” He tried to the invitation play down, sipping his wine.

“That’s okay, we can make fun of all the drunk family members of the wedding party.”

“That sounds great, yes please.”

\--

So two weeks later, they were seated towards the back of a reception hall, along with a couple Bucky didn’t recognize and their children. He figured he wouldn’t get seated with Nat and his other friends since he was late to give Sharon his guest RSVP, but he didn’t think she would actually put him at the back of the hall when he finally did. Then again, it’s not like his group of friends really knew about Steve, so she probably expected him to show up stag. 

Arriving at the church without his dogs there for comfort was a bit anxiety inducing. Seeing Steve in a fully fitted suit for the first time was completely debilitating. They were about to walk into a church and all Bucky wanted to do was drop to his knees and start… praying. Yes. Praying. 

Steve had just given him that stupid smile, the one where he looked like a goddamn Disney prince and held out his arm, as if Bucky wasn’t a barely-put together mess. He just squeezed his arm when Bucky got the nerve to finally do it, toting him along inside before the ceremony began. And yet, Bucky spent most of the ceremony thinking about the buttons on Steve’s new suit and how quickly he could undo them with his teeth. 

Once they got to the reception hall things had calmed down. At least for Bucky, and mostly because they were so far back in the hall they couldn’t hear anything and their table mates just ignored them in favor of talking to people at the surrounding tables, even ignoring their own children. 

Only after everyone had arrived was the food brought out, both Steve and Bucky were staring across the room at the kitchen doors and not really paying attention to the announcements they were so bored and hungry. It had been a few hours already and they were so far back in the room that all they wanted was food and cake. When salad’s were brought out, Bucky gave a weak look, glancing to Steve who was giving a similar look to his own. Bucky looked to Sharon and her new husband, squinting because _really_? Nearly everyone at the head table was on their phones, looking down into their laps rather than eating or speaking to one another. 

He nudged Steve, arching a brow and nodding at the front. After following his gaze Steve scoffed. 

“I thought phones weren’t allowed at weddings?” He whispered, looking back with a confused look. Bucky shrugged, stabbing his salad. 

“Guess not this one, I left mine in the car.” He answered through a mouth full of lettuce.

 

“Yeah me too.” 

Bucky smirked. “You’ll just have to talk to me.” 

“Oh no, my worst nightmare. What ever will I do.” Steve drawled back, nudging his shoulder and reaching a hand out, Bucky curling his fingers around Steve’s with a small smile. 

The cuteness was only distracting for a few short moments though, when the couple seated across the table returned to their children and started to complain about the salads. Bucky and Steve just looked at each other, finishing off their own before resuming to staring at the kitchen doors for the main course, Bucky leaning gently against Steve’s shoulder.

Eventually their dinner did come out. Bucky glanced up at Steve from where he was resting his head on his shoulder, Steve giving him a similar look in return and sitting up as their plates were brought out. Bucky thanked the server for their food, but quickly devolved when he discovered a very bland looking salmon. 

“Uh, is your…” he whispered, looking to Steve’s plate and finding a similar looking fish. 

Steve winced, quaffed gold hair falling in his eyes. “You don’t think she’s trying to poison us for being late with the RSVPs? This looks like something I’d find at work.”

Bucky looked at the fish and hesitated. Being that Steve worked in trash removal, that wasn’t a good sign. 

“Sharon’s not that… evil?” he said carefully, looking up to the front of the room where Nat and Clint were. They seemed to be laughing and having a good time, either not noticing the sordid state of their dinners or just not caring. The front table seemed to be eating, most of them still on their phones though.

He purses his lips, looking back at the either under or overcooked salmon. 

“Wanna get five guys later?” he whispers, looking at Steve nervously. 

Steve just snorts, covering his mouth with a hand and looking down at his lap in mildly contained laughter. “Yeah, that sounds amazing. Not to criticize your friend’s wedding-”

Bucky waves a hand. “I will, I want five guys.” 

“Still have to get through the rest of the reception,” Steve chides, but Bucky knows he’ll get his burger, smiling smugly to himself. He chose to eat the vegetables and _try_ the fish, but it was slimy and somehow overcooked and he hoped Sharon’s dish was better than theirs for her own wedding’s sake. 

Bucky and Steve barely touched their fish, and from watching the family across the table, neither did they. The youngest boy’s plate was mysteriously empty but the salmon wasn’t a hit for anyone at the table. 

Almost starving, they stared at the kitchen doors, hoping there was more food to come, but when a clanging noise came from the front of the room it was apparent that the speeches were to come. 

After trading several pleading and dry expressions during speeches they couldn’t hear from poor audio set up and a failed toast (how they failed a toast Bucky really didn’t know, and he loved Sharon he really did, but her brother-in-law was a drunken douchebag) Bucky began looking around for cake. 

He’d seen it when they entered the hall before, so there was definitely cake. He turned and looked behind them, where the dance floor was located, not spotting the cake. 

“What’re you looking for?”

“The cake,” Bucky whispers, leaning behind Steve to get a better angle of the front table. “I saw it before, it has to exist.” 

Steve watches him in amusement before looking high over the guests, nudging him in the stomach. “It’s over there, behind the column.” 

Bucky sits up, looking overhead in the direction Steve mentioned. 

“That better be damn good cake.” He mumbles, Steve humming. The cake didn’t look as bad as the salmon, but it was smaller then they’d hoped for a wedding party this big. 

But then the music turned on. 

Bucky and Steve had been focused entirely on the cake, that is until _Mambo Number 5_ started blasting through the speakers behind them, ruining the quiet chatter of the hall. They both turned to each other with desperate looks. It was going to be one of those weddings. 

Bucky looked back to the DJ, who seemed to just be typing on a laptop, not much of a kit set up. 

A few middle aged people got up to dance, one or two folks from the wedding party joining, but most of the people stayed seated. It was sort of stilted and awkward, too loud music playing and too few people dancing. 

Bucky almost felt bad for Sharon. Who was throwing this wedding? He didn’t want to say it was bad but… so far it was kind of bad. 

They ended up watching the awkward dance floor with nothing else to do in the meantime, Bucky tapping Steve’s hand and looking solemn. 

“I want cake.”

Steve tapped the back of Bucky’s hand in response. “Me too.”

After a few minutes Bucky tapped his hand again, starting up a silent back and forth tapping game every time they thought about cake and how starving they were. 

It took a significant amount of time before Steve noticed movement at the front of the room, poking Bucky in the ribs. 

“Ouch, that wasn’t my hand-” 

“Buck,” Steve nodded at the front, Bucky looking and audibly gasping as he saw some caterers moving the cake from its display spot. The glorious moment of hope was ruined by _Cha Cha Slide_ coming on, Bucky visibly freezing and giving Steve a hard look. He was met by Steve’s exhausted stare, rubbing a hand over his face. Bucky searched for the cake, but it was gone, off to prepare to be cut, so he lifted a hand to rub Steve’s back inconsolably. 

“There, there, sweet thing. At least it isn’t Haddaway.” 

Steve leaned into Bucky’s hand, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “Or Happy from that Pharrell guy- or Bruno Mars, him too.” 

Bucky nodded grimly, just rubbing Steve’s back through the awful wedding playlist and cringing at the failed attempt to get a conga line going. A few elderly people got up but maybe 4 people in total tried to join, it was very awkward and a little sad. The dance floor was too big and people were just not into it.  
During their sad viewing of the conga line Bucky was pleased to see Nat and Clint coming over, standing as they approached, already terrified of Natasha’s ogling of Steve next to him. 

“Almost didn’t see ya out here in the boondocks, how’s the Cha Cha?” Clint poked Bucky in the ribs before hugging him, Bucky giving a sarcastic laugh in return. 

“It’s great. Can’t hear any speeches, barely edible salmon, bunch of old people dancing; we’re having a fantastic time.” He kisses Nat on the cheek, Steve standing and smiling easily. 

“Nat and Clint, this is my date Steve; Steve, my friends Nat and Clint.” He quickly introduced, minorly stressed but also very aware that this was going to happen sooner or later. 

“Steve, huh? The hot guy from the dog park?” Nat shook his hand, a curious look in her eye. 

Steve took it in stride, not nearly as intimidated by her as nearly all of Bucky’s exes. 

“One and the same, unless there’s another hot guy at the dog park I don’t know about.” Steve looked at Bucky, who snorted. 

“Not in all of Cape Cod.” Bucky claimed loudly, putting that joke to rest with one of Steve’s blinding grins in his direction. 

Clint groaned. “So sappy! We’re already at a wedding, spare us.” 

“Spare you? At least you guys probably heard the speeches, have you heard what we’re being subjected to?” Bucky waved towards the dance floor where the sad conga line had broken up and turned into awkward singles dancing again. 

Both Nat and Clint cringed. “Yeah, well you didn’t have to hear Josh’s drunken brother slur through what we _think was_ supposed to be a toast. Poor Sharon, her mother-in-law organized all of this with the condition that they’d pay for it all if she didn’t get involved. I don’t think this was she was imagining what would happen.” Nat confided, looking across the room to Sharon. 

She was seated at the head table, her new-husband playing on his phone and she was trying to get his attention. As her friends, they could tell she was stressed, her eyes pinched at the corners and her mouth flat as she leaned in to say something curtly to Josh. 

Bucky gave a small noise of sympathy, pursing his lips. That would explain the wedding reception. 

They had just started looking for the cake again, with Nat and Clint joining the game, when _What Is Love_ ’s opening beats came on, Bucky sitting up with wide eyes in Steve’s direction. Steve just gave him creeping grin, reaching into his pocket and holding out his hand. Bucky frowned down at the quarter in the middle of his palm. 

“What?”

“You guessed it right, Pal.”

“Are you guys betting on the music?” Nat laughs, Bucky taking the quarter and putting it on the table. 

“Now we are, wanna join?” He nods at them, Clint and Nat glancing to the front of the room. 

“Maybe later, I think it’s time for the cake.” Clint points, Bucky whipping around to look for it. 

“Oh thank god, we’re starving.” He groans, Nat patting his arm before turning to go. 

“Nice to meet you Steve, hope to see you around.” She hooks her arm through Clint’s, waving as they went back to their table across the room. 

“Yeah _Steve_ , hope to see you around.” Bucky mimicked. 

He squeaked loudly when Steve reached out to tickle him from under his suit jacket. Bucky just grabbed Steve’s hand and held onto it tight to stop Steve, grinning stupidly and almost forgetting about the cake. He didn’t miss the way Steve’s fingers curled around his, squeezing before covering Bucky’s grip with his free hand.

“I miss Mikey and Gypsy.” Steve whispered, Bucky’s heart melting at the admission because if that wasn’t the sweetest fucking thing he’d ever heard. 

“I know, me too. I just want to go home and curl up on the couch with them.”

“That’s what we’ll do after cake, grab burgers and fall asleep on the couch with the dogs.” Steve lifted their hands to kiss the back of Bucky’s like the fucking prince charming he was. 

They barely didn’t notice the cake cutting happening, only when the family seated at their table stood up did they look away from their hands, standing to pretend like they hadn’t been distracted. Bucky held onto Steve’s hand for as long as he could on the way over to the cake, feeling ridiculously fuzzy inside. Even seated at the back of the hall by speakers screaming awful music, he was glad he asked Steve to come. They were still so new but maybe this could be something real, especially if Steve was cool with attending shitty weddings and tolerating his pouting and complaining the whole time. 

When they got to the cake they finally had a chance to see Sharon and Josh, Bucky giving her a hug and introducing Steve. She looked a little exhausted, but the flush on her cheeks showed there had been wine at some point so hopefully that meant she would be enjoying herself some more after the cake. They managed to escape the crowd of cake goers, back to their table and sneering at the speakers as _Marry You_ from Bruno Mars came on. 

Bucky reached for his quarter, passing it over to Steve when they sat down. Steve took it, not sure if he was exactly happy with his winnings if this was what it took, giving him a smug look before digging into the cake. 

They’re reactions were underwhelming. Steve was visibly hesitating, once again trying to be polite while Bucky just frowned at it. 

“We stayed all this time for _this_?” he whined, cutting up the dry tasteless cake with the side of his fork. 

“You said it, not me.”

“Am I wrong? Do you like this cake?” Bucky picked up a crumbly piece, almost dropping cake in Steve lap as he held it out. 

But Steve still leaned in and ate it, giving a pained look. “I was trying to be cute, but it wasn’t worth it.” He wiped his mouth and reached for his glass of water. 

Bucky put the fork down with a huff, rubbing his face. “Five guys and a McFlurry. That’s what we deserve.” 

“That’s a hard yes from me. I’ll be right back, just gonna use the washroom.” Steve patted his arm, Bucky smiling at him as he left.

He leaned on his arm and stared down at the cake, thinking vengefully about false advertising and cutting off all the icing from the sponge, hoping for some kind of sugar rush. The kids across the table were doing something similar, somehow managing to shove the whole cake into their mouths with no care for the lacking in flavor. 

It was the first moment he wished he had his phone, because while the general wedding reception had been boring and awkward and somewhat miserable for the majority of the time, having Steve with him had made it actually kind of fun. 

Bucky didn’t dare think about how at their wedding there would be mic checks, amazing cake, a custom playlist, basically the opposite of everything at this wedding. But he wasn’t thinking about that and wasn’t taking note, because they’d only been seeing each other for a few weeks.

He wasn’t completely smitten with Steve and dreaming about adopting 13 more dogs with an outdoor wedding in a huge field for said army of dogs. 

After about ten minutes he began to wonder where Steve went, glancing around nervously until he saw him coming back to the table, a jittery smile on. Bucky squinted at him. 

“What’s with that look? Are you okay? What happened in the bathroom, is your dick alright?” 

Steve startled a laugh, sitting down. “Nothing, nothing. Yes, everything’s still in working order.”

“Working order, you’re such an old man.” Bucky teased, reaching for his hand. 

He was about to make another cake joke when Bucky heard the music change, looking up sharply. This wasn't the top 50’s wedding playlist anymore, at least not a song he’d expected to hear among the ABBA, Bruno Mars and Macarena songs. 

“Is this … Edwin McCain? That _I'll Be_ song?” He asks carefully, not totally confident in his guess. 

Steve just gets up, sticking out a hand and giving him a look. “Right again, quarter’s still mine though.” 

Bucky stared at the hand, glancing to the dance floor and spotting a few more couples then usually getting up to dance together. Even the couple from their table with the rowdy kids had gotten up to dance. 

It was a slow and there was a saxophone and it reminded Bucky of one of the song’s from that Treasure Planet movie from when he was a kid. And then he realized he hadn’t responded quickly enough and Steve’s face was falling and shit shit-

He almost slapped Steve’s hand he reached out so quickly, shoving his chair when he stood up. 

“Yes, yeah- let’s dance,” Bucky grinned, trying to reassure him and tugging Steve’s hand, wanting to see him smile again. 

The smile was back again after a moment of nervous confusion, pulling Bucky to the dance floor. 

Then it was trying to remember where hands went and how feet were supposed to go, Bucky had a hand on Steve’s shoulder and Steve’s hand went to his waist, their free hands together in something Steve clearly knew how to do as Bucky tried to follow along. 

“Ever box-stepped?” Steve asked, squeezing his hand. 

The music was much louder here, and Bucky wasn’t totally sure how to do the dance Steve was trying to guide him through, smiling nervously while staring down at the feet. 

“Not really, I thought we were gonna slow dance like high school,” he tried to laugh, his feet tripping a little as Steve moved forward and laughed, drowned out by the music. 

“Okay, try to follow my feet, small steps, we’ll go slow see-” Steve was the one who guided them, trying to comfort Bucky with rubbing a thumb on his side. It mostly just distracted him because he wanted Steve to pet him more, but at the same time he kept stepping on Steve’s toes and he was getting increasingly embarrassed. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry-” he kept whispered, Steve bringing him a little closer and still smiling like the fucking sun. 

“You’re doing great, don’t worry. Look up here,” 

Bucky looked up, holding his breath and just trying to follow along, his chest tight. “Where’d you learn to dance?” He managed. 

Steve shrugged, glancing down at their feet and guiding Bucky backwards. 

“I was pretty sick when I was little so my signed me up for dance classes, I stopped after a few years but still remember the basics.” He spoke loud enough to hear but gentle enough for Bucky to swoon. 

“That’s so nice.” He mumbles, looking back down at their feet and trying not to ruin the moment by falling. 

They were quiet for a while, focusing on dancing and enjoying the song, then the music changed back to some stupid wedding playlist song again and they separated, Steve holding onto Bucky’s hand as he watched the other people go back to their tables. 

Bucky looked at Steve suspiciously. “Did you request that song? It was too good for top 50 worst songs.”

Steve raised an eyebrow, squeezing his hand and shrugging. “We’ll never know.”

“You’re cute.” Bucky blurted, closing his mouth quickly. Steve tugged his hand, pulling him close and turning his head to him. 

“I try, luckily so are you.” he pressed a kiss to Bucky’s lips, just adding to the perfection of the unexpected moment. It wasn’t the first time they’d kissed, but they hadn’t gone very far past that. Bucky was okay going slow, they had moments like this and he loved every single one. 

“Steve?”

Then the moment was gone at the sound of a woman’s voice, the kiss ending rather abruptly to Bucky’s disappointment. They’d been interrupted by a pretty brunette in red lipstick, Bucky feeling immediately confused. Steve was new to Cape Cod, how did someone recognize him? 

“Peggy?” Steve said back in a loud, and Bucky noted happy, tone.Then they were hugging and Bucky was standing awkwardly to the side, watching the reunion in nervous confusion. 

“What’re you doing here? I thought you were still in Texas?” 

Also she had a British accent, awesome. 

Steve shook his head, holding out his hand for Bucky to come closer and looking to him cheerfully. 

“No, I got a job here in the forestry department and moved north. This is my boyfriend Bucky, I’m actually here as his date- I don’t know anyone at this wedding.” He introduced, and then Bucky didn’t care who the random brunette was because they were _boyfriends_. 

He automatically held out his hand, barely listening anymore and giving a polite smile. At some point he heard that Peggy was Sharon’s cousin and was in town for the wedding, but Bucky still didn’t know how Steve knew a British girl, trying to focus on the conversation instead of glossing over everything to daydream about _boyfriends_. 

“- dance classes with Peggy when I was younger,” Steve looked to him, Bucky nodding and giving a look of surprise. 

“Oh! Okay, cool.” 

“That’s how I knew it was you! I saw you two dancing and thought you looked familiar, didn’t expect to see you at my cousin’s wedding on the east coast.” Peggy exclaimed, patting Steve on the arm familiarly, “I came with my husband Gabe, we should get lunch before we leave town on Tuesday.” 

Steve nodded, reaching out and squeezing Bucky’s hand. “Absolutely, that sounds great. We’re actually heading out now but i’ll talk to you tomorrow about lunch.” Steve replied, Bucky looking to him quietly. They hadn’t talked about leaving yet, but he wasn’t going to say no. 

Peggy gave Steve a quick hug and shook Bucky’s hand again before going back to her table, Bucky blinking in surprise as Steve tugged him along. The rest of the reception hall had returned to eating cake or dancing, a photo session happening near the front of the room with the wedding party. It might be a bit rude to leave without saying goodbye, but Sharon was occupied with family photos and Nat and Clint were nowhere near their table and he could just text them later saying he was feeling a bit ill. Wouldn’t be out of character for him. 

“Are you sure you want to go now?” Bucky asked, thinking it was a bit sudden. 

Steve shook his head, happy to be heading towards the doors. “Just wanted to get you your cake and get a dance in.” 

They were on their way out of the door when Bucky squeezed Steve’s hand, earning a questioning look. “Thanks for suffering with me, this means a lot.” 

“Nothing about you is suffering, Buck. Come on, there’s two burgers calling our names and some pups waiting for us back home.” 

They were about to walk out of the reception hall before Steve stopped them, pecking Bucky on the cheek before holding up a hand, walking backwards. “One sec,” and Bucky saw him rush back to the doors, bending over one of the lace covered tables. 

Steve walked back after a minute, looking quite proud of himself. Bucky arched a brow.

“What was that?”

“Signed the guest book.” 

“Oh yeah? What’d you say.” 

After grabbing Bucky’s hand and almost laughing, “ _Did you hear about the spiders who got married? They met on the web! Congrats and wishing you all the happiness, Love Bucky and Steve._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> No Sharon's were hurt in the making of this fanfic (She dumps the guy a few months later, in my head at least)


End file.
